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MG Walter H. Yates

Army ROTC Alumni Hall of Fame Memeber

Major General Walter H. Yates was born on November 6, 1941, and is a native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Upon completion of the Reserve Officer Training Corps curriculum and the educational course of study at the University of Southern Mississippi, he was commissioned a Lieutenant of Infantry and awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Foreign Affairs from George Washington University. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the Army Aviation School, the Naval College of Command and Staff, and the U.S. Army War College. In addition, General Yates attended the DOD Joint Warfighting course and the Harvard program for National and International Securities Studies.

On 1 February 1998, General Yates retired from active duty as the Deputy Commanding General Fifth U.S. Army. Prior to that assignment, he held a variety of important command and staff positions to include Deputy Commanding General V (US) Corps, United States Army Europe; Commanding General U.S. Army Berlin and the Berlin Brigade; Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver) 3d Armored Division and the Commander of the Giessen Military Community, United States Army Europe; Deputy Director National Military Command Center J-3 and Chief of Conventional Plans Division J-7, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

General Yates served in a variety of important career building assignments preparatory to his most recent duties. As a company grade officer, he served as a rifle platoon leader and an anti-tank platoon leader in the 2d Battalion, 10th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) Fort Carson, Colorado. Following two combat aviation assignments in Vietnam, he returned to the Armored Officer Advanced Course. In his next assignment, he commanded an infantry company and served as the S3 of the 2d Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Carson, Colorado.

After attendance at the Naval College of Command and Staff, he served first as the S3 of the 227th Aviation Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, then as the S3 of the 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 6th Cavalry Brigade, and finally as Commander of A Troop, 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry, all at Fort Hood, Texas. He was then assigned as a logistics and then an operations staff officer in the Headquarters of the United States Army Europe in Heidelberg, Germany. Following this, he was assigned as the Commander of the 503d Aviation Battalion, 3d Armored Division in Hanau, Germany. After returning to the United States, he became Deputy Commander of the 6th Calvary Brigade, the Commander of the Apache Training Brigade, and finally the Commander of the 6th Cavalry Brigade, all at Fort Hood, Texas.

His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, numerous Air Medals, Army Commendation Medal, and the Purple Heart. General Yates is also authorized to wear the Master Army Aviator Badge, the Army Parachutist Badge, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge. MG Yates was married to the late Donna Jo Everett. They have three children, Walter III, Hope, and Michelle.